Television

RTÉ Television Centre

1962

Ronald Tallon
Architect
Scott Tallon Walker
Architects

Information

Designed by Ronald Tallon of Scott Tallon Walker Architects for television, a medium whose development was unpredictable, the Radió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) complex (1962) anticipated its future expansion though modular buildings, components and systems. Occupying the sylvan landscape of a big house in the suburbs of Dublin, its master-plan was organised according to a 20 foot square grid. The aluminium façade of the Television Building shows the influence of the American architecture of Mies van der Rohe but was designed as a dry assembly of C instead of I-sections, without mastic and as a series of interlocking parts. This system has meant that the façade could be taken down and put back up again on two separate occasions to allow the building to be extended.